Protective means for shaft bearings



July 8, 1930. R. c. BALL v 1,769,934

PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR SHAFT BEARINGS Filed 0G13. l, 1926 \9\ I l Y 10 15 15" 6 2 7 J l/EZ a' J f 4f "lle 15J 5.,? I1 l 1 IHHIHI A EN l NVEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 8, 1930 Y RUSSELL C. BALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR k10 :PHILADELPHIA GEAR IVORKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, .A CORPORATION JERSEY or NEW PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR SHAFT BEARINGS Application filed October 1, 1926*. SeralrNo. 138,853.

My invention relates to means which is particularly adapted for use in the protection of bearings of shaftswhich are employed for supporting gears 5 ings, which casings are adapted to hold masses of liquid lubricant. In constructions of thisv character the bearings for the supporting shafts which carry the gears are mounted or located within the casing, so

that the lubricant contained within the latter has free access thereto.. It has been found in practice that a certain amount of foreign matter, such as grit, will. gradually find its way into the lubricant and unless protective means is employed will find its way into the bearings and cause unnecessary and destructive wear thereof.

One of the objects of the invention isto pro# vide means of novel construction whereby the entry of grit and other foreign matter into bearings mounted within casings containing masses or volumes of liquid lubricant is prevented. f

y It is also an object of the invention to prof bearings mounted within casings containing volumes or masses of liquid lubricant, the said means comprising a member or element mounted on a shaft inadjacent relation to a bearing and operatingto protect the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a screening structure of a character whereby it is adapted to be mountedupon a shaft in operative relation to its bearing for preventingacccss of foreign matter, suchas grit, into said bearing and at the same time permitting free access of the lubricant thereto.

To these and other ends my invention comprehends a construction and arrangement of Y parts as hereinafter described in detail, as illustrated in the drawing forming a part of this specification and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing I have shown one form of a convenient embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in otherforms of con'- mounted within closed casi vide novelv means for preventing` entry or access of foreign matter, such as grit, into shaft' struction than that shown and that changes in thel details ofthe construction within the scope of the claims may be made without de-I parting from the said invention.

' In the drawing: Y Fig. l is a view in elevation of a casing within which ay gear unit is mounted, aportion of the said casingbeing broken away and the construction embodying the invention shown in section;

` Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a screen,v

struct-ure constituting an element ofthe invention; and a y Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-'3of Fig. l. i e

Referring to the drawing: l designates a casing within which gears 2 and 3 are mounted. The shaft l of the gear 3 only is shown for the purposeof illustrating my invention. The shaft is provided near its opposite ends lwith reduced portions 5, which portions are mounted or supported in and byvball-bean ings 6. Shoulders 7 separate the reduced por tions 5 from the intermediate main portion of the shaft 4.

The bearing structures 6 are mounted within plugs 8 and 9 which in turn are removably mounted in openings l0 in the opposite sides of the casing l. It will be noted'that the bearings are in eect located and mounted within the casing l, so that the lubricant contained in the casing hasfree access thereto. The lubricant may be inserted into the casing to iill the same to a height or level such as may be desired. y

The casings of Vgear units of the general character illustrated may be and usually are liquid tight and this being the case it might be assumed that no grit or other foreign matterv would iind its way into the casing and into the lubricant therein. In practice, however, it has beenr found that grit and other foreign matter do find their way into the casing and that the entry thereof into the bearings causes undue and rapid wear and destruction there? of. In order to prevent this I have provided upon shafts adjacent the bearings thereof within casings a screening device to permit access of the lubricant to the bearings and at Y the same time prevent access of grit or other foreign matter thereto. The means employed iet `by me consists of a screen l2 of a mesh suifb' yciently. fineto prevent the passage there! through of grit or other foreign matter. 'lliis screen is mounted between two parallelplates 13 of suitable metal. These plates and the screen areffastened together by rivets 14, A greater or less number of rivets may be ein` ployed, as may be found to be iiecessaiy and' desirable. Each of the plates 13 is provided Withla'nuinber of openings 15, preferably n ofen-shape, as shown. Theseopenings are` adapted to be placed in opposite relation to each other, as is indicated in Fig. 3 ofthe"V E drawing'. AIn' this Way only certain portions of the screen 12 rare exposed. t' These openings vconstitute *passagevvays vi ii the `structure @through which thelubricantA may pass.

j The disks, together Withthe screenA mount ed and held between the same, `upon the sliaftin such relation tothe shaft.

bearings as to prevent the entryjof-lubricant- `into the said bearings, except through the openings through lthe said plates and through the portions of the screen which extend across A i the said openingen .For the purpose of mountare mounted fing the. plates and the screen upon a shaft they are'provided with a central opening 16. In

the construction as ,shown theplates,together With the screen held between the saine, `are mounted upon therinner ends of the reduced VportionsV 5 of the the shaft and are clamped betweenthe shoulders 7` and' the bearings '6.

' It ivillbe seen that thescreens are yin close contact With the inner exposed portions of the bearings and iti'srquite evident'that no lubri- Y cant can have access tothe bearings, except through the exposed portions of the'V screen Withinlthe .openings 15,;'1The mesh ofthe screen shrouldbe of a ineness s uiiicient to pre,-

ventk the passage of grit or otherforeign mat-v ter therethroughand this being t-hexcase, it

' will be vquite evident Vthat no'gritor other foreign matter can enter thebearings 6.Y Y

TheV screening structure, including the plates 18 and the screen 12, may be mounted upon the shaft fivhose `bearings are to be protected to rotatethereivith or not, as may' be desired. v ,i s u It Will be seen that by my Vinvention I have provided means Wherebythe bearings of the sliaftsof'a gear unit mounted Within a casing may be completely protected againstthe entry of grit or other `foreign' matter, Wherebythe period mav'be greatly increased. i l Having thus described myinvention, What I claim land desire to secure' by Letters Patent 1S., Y -A y s the combination of bearings Vmounted Within a 4casing adapted to contain a lubricant, a shaft-journa'led` invsaid bearings, the journals ofsaid shaft `being ofl reduced diameter to ofusefulness of said bearings and screen structures'moimted between the said shoulders and the exposed lportions of the said bearings andin contact With the;latter to'protect the same against'theentry of foreign matter thereinto vwith the lubricant. 2; rIn .protective means for shaft bearings, the-combination of a bearing mounted Within a casing adapted tocontain a liquid lubricant,

and a ,protecting means mounted in opera# tive relation to .the exposed Vportion of said bearing to prevent the entry of foreign matter .-thereinto, the said protecting means comprising a Vcouple of metal plates and a screen mounted between the same, the said plates and. screen being riveted together, and the said plates being' provided With openings in kopposed relation to each other through which the lubricant is adapted to 'pass to the .bearing.

3. In protective means for shaft bearings, the combination of bearings mounted Within a casing adapted to containa liquid lubricant,

rashaft located Within said casing and having reduced portionsv mounted in said bearings and alsohaving shoulders at the inner ends of said reduced portions,v and screening structure mounted upon the said reduced portions between the exposed portionsof the said bear- -having a reduced portionthereon journaled inf the said bearing', said reduced'iiiortion forming a shoulder, of a screen mounted on said shaft between the said shoulder and the adjacent exposed portion ofthe said bearing, the said screen being interposed between the said bearingl andthe source of lubricant therefor. y y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto, signed my name this 29th day of September, A. D. 1926. f .y t RUSSELL BALL.

LIn protective means for shaft bearings, j

provide a shoulderbetvveen'the same and the intermediate larger portion of the said shaft, 

